The worst ever England and Scotland sides?

United core looks strong

Scholesy – I think we have the core of a very good team with players like De Gea, Shaw, Bailly, Pogba, Martial, Rashford, Herrera and Miki. We still need a few additions and some players need to leave but i’m confident Mourinho will get it right.

Mourinho needs a bit more time, but not too much

I see some problems with some of the players but mostly blame Mourinho for our poor start. Just look at Arsenal or Liverpool. They have arguably as good or worse individual players as us but are playing much better as a collective, obviously due to better management. And if Mourinho complains about the players, well whose job is it to get the players he needs then? Didn’t he sign four players last summer? Why didn’t he sell off the deadwood if he thinks they are so poor or lack the right attitude? He was fired in December 2015 and appointed in May 2016. Plenty of time to assess the squad. Why is it every new United manager seems to need a decade just to get going?

Personally, I am willing to give Mourinho a bit more time but not too much. The reason is that even if he does get it right eventually, which right now is looking unlikely, it will by all accounts be a short period of success that we will experience with him.

If he’s going to continue to misuse players like Martial and Rashford then I really don’t se a pathway to sustained period of success like we had under SAF anyway. The key to SAF’s long term success was that he built teams and kept the same players for a long time, from breaking through as youngsters and well into their 30’s like Giggs and Scholes, just to name a few.

I don’t want us to become like all the other top teams who win something like two titles a decade. I want us to dominate. The only way to dominate during a sustained period of time is unearthing young gems like Martial, Rashford, Shaw etc and then continue to develop them their whole career. Not stifle them, which is what Mourinho has done so far.

Costa injury worry for Chelsea

Costa apparently got injured in training with Spain, was assessed immediately by their medical team and sent home. Sounds precautionary but it will now be down to Chelsea to asses the extent of the injury but indications are a thigh injury

Good news is that Costa will get at least a 2 week break assuming he is fit to play against Boro and longer if the injury is worse than thought. Plus side of that is that Michy would get to start a game (or possibly more) so we can all have a better look at him

On the Chelsea web-site it is reported that Hazard played the full 90 minutes the other day and that Courtois was rested and no mention of any injury to either player. KTBFFH

Spurs the hardest team to beat

What keeps going through my mind is the fact that we are undoubtedly the hardest team to beat. Our defence is so well drilled.

The best two full backs, the best central defender, the best central defensive partnership and it seems that Wanyama has taken over from Kanye as the best defensive midfielder.

We have the best centre forward although not the best striker, that goes to Aguero. One of the best two keepers, rival with De Gea. Unfortunately some of our top boys from last year have not hit top form yet i.e. Dier and Dele.

Then we have the great enigmas, players who have so ,so much promise but need consistency i.e. Erikssen and Lamela. Finally, there is the one player who binds us altogether, underrated by many , a player who should have been in the ‘team of the year’ last year….the superb Moussa Dembele.

Get our forwards scoring,a smaller, fast dribbling striker and creative midfielder in January and we would surely have a fantastic chance to get the title.